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January to March 1980

The Iowa Caucus results are in. George Bush got 38%, Mitt Romney 21%, and Ronald Reagan 41%. In the New England History, Bush had won the caucus.

Gary Hart got 24%, President Carter 76%.

Howard Dean, who is helping Gary Hart’s campaign, said. “We’re going to win in New Hampshire, then we’re going to Massachusetts, and we’re coming home to Vermont and … guess what, I’m not screaming this time”

Channel 4 News.February 26th 1980.

Gary Hart got 46% of the vote in the New Hampshire Democratic Primary. Some are already calling for him to drop out of the race.

In the Republican Primary, Mitt Romney swept it with 54%. Bush with 12% and Reagan with 34%.

Channel 4 News.March 4th 1980.

Mitt Romney sweeps Massachusetts and Vermont, 70% and 55%.

Gary Hart meanwhile, got 40% and 43%.

Channel 4 News.March 11th 1980.

Reagan sweeps Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. Bush come in second in Alabama and Georgia. Gary Hart received only 10% in Florida, 12% in Alabama and 19% in Georgia.

Channel 4 News.March 12th 1980.

We bring you live to Gary Hart’s press conference.

“I am withdrawing from the Presidential race. I will work day and night to support President Carter in his reelection effort.”

Wall Street Week.March 14th, 1980.

“I’m Louis Rukeyser and this is Wall Street Week. Tonight we are going to discuss what stocks should you buy today that will do well in 2006. If you missed our earlier show on how stocks did in the New England Future you can order a VHS video tape. No, you cannot have a Betamax tape. If you want to know why, order the VHS tape of last week’s show.

We have three experts tonight. Let’s start with the automotive sector. What do you think of General Motors?”

“Actually I’m not very impressed. They’ve made a flurry of announcements, and rolled out a Sports Utility Vehicle, a crew cab pickup truck, and some New England Future styles, but underneath it all, are the same platforms they had last year. I don’t see their efforts improving quality, or efficiency in manufacturing. I think they’ll sell some vehicles in the next few years, but this is not a winner in 2006.

My automotive pick is Toyota. They have the same 1980 model vehicles they had in the 1980 New England Future. The only major change is anti-lock brakes are now an option for some of their models. However, auto experts have dug up 1980 cars from New England junkyards, and they have found many small changes made to the 1980 Toyota’s.

The Toyota strategy of continuous small improvements, is the strategy that is going to win by 2006. You are also going to see some big changes. My little birdie says watch for the 1983 Toyota model year.

I also want to mention Chrysler. They are doing much better than they did in the New England 1980. They didn’t need government loan guarantees this time. They also moved up the date of the minivan introduction. I still think that by 2006 they’ll have to merge with another automotive company. I don’t think you’ll lose money by buying their stock, but I don’t think it will be a big winner in your portfolio either.”

“What about the Computer industry?”

“IBM is a phenomenal choice. This time, I think they’ll own a good part of the Personal Computer market and keep it.

Another pick is Toshiba. Right now, they are the only other choice for an IBM compatible PC. Hewlett Packard hasn’t reached the market yet. They were the number two computer maker in the New England Future 2006. So far, I’m not impressed by them.”

“What about the number one Personal Computer maker of the New England Future 2006?”

“Dell Computer. Michael Dell is 15 years old. Any sensible person would decline the assets and liabilities of Dell Computer in New England, but no-one ever accused Michael Dell of being sensible. He is going to honor all the service agreements and guarantees for those Dell computers that came over with New England, and he’s going to build a company. He’s got the financing for it, and a good team. If they had public stock, I’d add it to my portfolio as a speculation.”

“When can I buy a flash memory portable music player?”

“Not for a while. The solid state memory just isn’t made small enough yet. Toshiba claims that they will be the first to provide it. For now, if you want portable music, you can buy the Sony Walkman cassette player. The portable CD player, I think Sony called it the Discman, also needs some solid state memory to handle interruptions in playback due to the device being bumped while you are walking or jogging. So, we don’t have that yet either.”

“Is Sony one of your picks?”

“No, I don’t see them maintaining focus over the next 26 years. I don’t see any sign of them changing their corporate culture from the one they had in the New England Future.”

“What about the retail industry?”

“I have two picks, Wal-Mart, and Sears-KMart. One of them or both of them are going to do very well in 2006, so I say buy them both. Wal-Mart was a pioneer in using technology and careful inventory management to become the number one retailer in the New England Future. If anything, they are moving much faster now, and have a great position in New England.

Sears-KMart is applying every lesson of the 26 years of the New England Future at the same time. There is just no comparison between them and the Sears and KMart of the New England Future 1980.

They are many other regional discount chains, but none of them are moving with the determination of those two companies. Target is doing OK, but I think they will at best be in third place behind Wal-Mart and Sears-KMart in 2006.”

“Any other industries in your 2006 portfolio?”

“Yes, biotechnology. Buy every biotech company located in New England. Biogen, Genzyme, Millennium Pharmaceuticals. I can’t predict the winners among them, so buy them all, buy a mutual fund, invest venture capital funds operating there.”

“We’ll check in with our Elves now. They give a strong buy signal. They say that the Reagan Bull Market begins now.”

Ted Koppel: What you have been seeing are clips from the “America held hostage” essentially this program, in the New England Future. That show, became, on this date: Nightline.”

“In our new history, we started this show just after the Event of July 26th 1979. And just like in the New England Future, after a few months we broadened this show to include any news of the day, and called it Nightline.”

“Tonight, we are going to discuss the impact of this show, in the New England Future, and in our new history, and where we go from here.”

Canada AM TV show.March 26th, 1980.

“Lise Payette has been keeping a low profile, no comments about Yvettes this time.”

“For our viewers who are unfamiliar with this incident, or should I say non-incident, can you tell us about it?”

“Certainly. In the other history, Lise Payette compared women who planned to vote no in the referendum of Quebec sovereignty, to a docile school book character. It backfired spectacularly, and the no vote won by 59 to 40 percent. This time, Madeleine Ryan, the wife of Quebec Liberal leader Claude Ryan, is going to hold the brunch des Yvettes, but it just isn’t the same.”

“On the other hand, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau promised to reform the Canadian Constitution for the benefit of Quebec, but the voters know little is likely to come of that.”

“Don’t forget there is a perception that he himself worked against Quebec interests in the other history, especially in the 1982 patriation of the Constitution. That he was a vendu/sellout. This promise by Trudeau was a major reason for many people to vote no in the other 1980. I don’t think an insult by Lise Payette, a cabinet minister, swung that many votes the other way.”

“What else do the Quebecoise think of the other history?”

“Some would prefer that the line of time zone went further north.”

“It was a little rough on the Haskell Free Library” (laughs)

“It is going to reopen in May, just in time for the referendum.”

“So will the library be half in the States and half in Canada, or half in an independent Quebec?”

“I think it is too close to call.”

Movie News.March 27th, 1980.

John Candy’s new movie is out in theaters. “Cool Runnings, Reality”. Is it a sequel, a prequel? Who knows, but it is great entertainment. He reprises his fictional role in the New England Future 1993 film, where he plays a coach who leads a group of Jamaican amateurs to be their nation’s bobsled team in the Winter Olympics. In “Cool Runnings, Reality”, he plays the role for real, with Jamaican sprinters and pushcart competitors who are trained to be a bobsled team and compete in the Lake Placid 1980 Winter Olympics.

BBC News.March 28th, 1980.

Demonstrations continue in West Germany, opposing membership in NATO.

“Mr. Carter, Mr. Schmidt, Tear Down This Wall”, is a popular slogan. Another is “We don’t want Reagan’s missiles here”, as well as the ever popular “Yankee go home.”

120 thousand protesters marched through West Berlin, one of many demonstrations yesterday. They are responding to the Soviet offer to let the Germanies reunite if it were to be a neutral disarmed nation, and not part of NATO or any other military pact. Both US President Carter, and West German Chancellor Schmidt have rejected this out of hand. US Presidential candidate Ronald Reagan also opposes this move, and in the New England Future had introduced intermediate range nuclear missiles to Western Europe.

Several peace groups in West Germany, France, Holland, and the United Kingdom are working together to create what they call a “detente from below”, to create the fact of peace between East and West Europe. They see the proposal for a neutral Germany as a fulfillment of their plans to end confrontation between the blocs.

Manchester Guardian.March 30th, 1980.

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher made a series of announcements about the Falkland Islands.

“We are ready to announce that the Falkland Islands and nearby islands are well defended. We also are announcing a 200 nautical mile fishing zone, and oil exploration zone, under the authority of the Falkland Islands. We will not tolerate threatening naval movements within this zone. The local commander is authorized to use force if, in his opinion, foreign naval movements constitute a threat. We hope for good relations with the Argentinians, but we are prepared to use force to defend British territories.”

Commentary:

We find it puzzling that Thatcher would go through such effort to hold on to the Falkland Islands, while seeming to be ready to let go of Hong Kong. She has acknowledged that it will be returned to mainland China in 1997, and only the details of the agreement are left to be completed. Is she trying to distract the people from a an imminent agreement to surrender Hong Kong with some bravado against Argentina?

BBC News.March 31st 1980.

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher reiterated “Britain would not accept a neutral Germany as a satisfactory result of the difficulties which we’re now experiencing. West Germany is a member of NATO―a very important member of NATO. It’s necessary to have Germany in NATO to continue Western security.”

In other news, Mrs. Thatcher has also endorsed US presidential candidate Ronald Reagan’s plan for a missile defence.

“So the potential contribution of ballistic missile defence to peace and stability seems to me to be very great.

First and most obviously it promises the possibility of protection if deterrence fails; or if there is a limited and unauthorised use of nuclear missiles.

Second, it would also preserve the capability of the West to project its power overseas.

Third, it would diminish the dangers of one country overturning the regional balance of power by acquiring these weapons.

Fourth, it would strengthen our existing deterrent against a hostile nuclear super-power by preserving the West’s powers of retaliation.

And fifth, it would enhance diplomacy’s power to restrain proliferation by diminishing the utility of offensive systems.

Acquiring an effective global defence against ballistic missiles is therefore a matter of the greatest importance and urgency. But the risk is that thousands of people may be killed by an attack which forethought and wise preparation might have prevented.“